Diagonally retractable tooth brush



Oct. 20, 1959 P. KAYE ET AL 2,998,928

DIAGONALLY RETRACTABLE TOOTH BRUSH Filed July- 11., 1957 I INVENTOR. Phi hp Kaqe Edward E. Tal'e & 7% W mew M c I Y Y AT To r'ney s United States Patent g 2,908,928 7 DIAGQNALLY RETRACTABLE TOOTH BRUSH Philip Kaye, Nol -ridge, and Edward E. Tate, Chicago, Ill., assignors to Lester R. Peilet, Chicago, Ill.

Application July 11, 1957, Serial No. 671,204

4 Claims. (Cl. 15-184) This invention relates to brushes, particularly retractable tooth brushes or the like.

One object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved tooth brush which is adapted to collapse or retract so that the bristles will be enclosed.

Thus, an object of the invention is to provide a new and improved retractable tooth brush which may be carried very conveniently in a pocket, purse, hand bag or the like.

A furtherobject is to provide a newand improved retractable tooth brush which is extremely serviceable and convenient for brushing teeth.

"It is another object to provide a new and improved retractable tooth brush which is movable into an extended position with the bristles extending well beyond the contour of the handle portion of the brush, for maximum convenience in brushing teeth.

2,908,928 Patented Oct. 20, 1959- the handle member 14. In this case, the opening is generally rectangular in cross section. The walls 20, 22, 24 and 26 may be formed as separate pieces or parts and may be cemented or otherwise secured together. It is convenient to mold .the side walls 24 and 26 from various plastic materials, while the top and bottom walls and 22 may be cut or otherwise formed from sheet material. The top and bottom walls 20 and 22 may be seated in grooves or recesses 30 and 32 formed along the upper and lower edges of each of the side walls 24 and 26.

In order to guide the bristle bar 12, the side walls 24 and 26 are formed with first and second pairs of generally parallel opposite tracks 34 and 36, which extend diagonally along the side walls between the top and bottom walls 20 and 22. In this case, the tracks 34 and 36 take the form of grooves which face into the opening A further object is to provide anew and improved retractable tooth brush which locks securely in its extended and retracted positions. I

Still another object is to provide a new and improved retractable tooth brush which is attractive in appearance and easy to manufacture at low cost.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will appear from the following description, taken with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figs. 1 and 2 are central longitudinal sectional views of a retractable tooth brush to be described as 'an illustrative embodiment of the present invention, the tooth brush being shown retracted in Fig. 1 and extended in Fig. 2.

Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal sectional view of a hollow handle member employed in the illustrative brush.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view, taken generally along a line 44 in Fig. 3.

Figs. 5 and 6 are plan and elevational views of an extensible bristle bar employed in the illustrative brush.

As already indicated, the drawings illustrate a tooth brush 10 which may be shifted between the retracted position of Fig. 1 and the extended position of Fig. 2. When the brush is extended, it is highly serviceable and ex; tremely convenient for brushing teeth, or for any other desired use. When retracted, the brush is very compact and thus may be carried conveniently in a pocket; purse, hand bag or the like. v

In particular, the, illustrated brush 10 comprises a bristle bar 12 which is retractable and extensible into and out of ahollow handle member 14. The bar 12' has an outer end portion 16 with a plurality of bristles 18 ex- 28. The grooves 34 and 36 on each of the side walls 24 and 26 communicate with each other, but the groove 34 is deeper than the groove 36. Thus, the groove 36 forms a step between the groove 34 and the inside of the side wall. This stepped construction is clearly illustrated in Fig. 4.

The illustrated bristle bar 12 has an inner end portion 38 with first and second pairs of guide pins 40 and 42 extending in opposite lateral directions therefrom. It will be seen that the pins 40 and 42 are slidably engaged with the grooves 34 and 36. Thus, the pinsconstitute track-following elements on the bristle bar 12. The pins 40 extend laterally to a greater extent than the pins 42 for reception in the deeper grooves 44. It will benoted that the pins 40 and 42 extend in directions which are at right angles to the direction of the bristles 18.

From Fig. 3, it will be apparentthat the grooves 34 and 36 have upper end portions 44 and 46 which are substantially horizontal. Detent elements 48 and 50 extend upwardly into the grooves 34 and 36 at the entrances to the upper end portions 44 and 46, to detain the pins 40 and 42 therein. Thus, the space between the upper wall 20 and the detent elements 48 and 50 is slightly less than the diameter of the pins 40 and 42 so that a certain amount of force must be exerted to snap the pins into the end portions 44 and 46. The inherent resiliency of the top wall 20 and the bristle bar 12 permits the pins 40 and 42 to snap past the detents 48 and 50. It will be apparent that the detents 48 and 50 are efi'ective'to detain the pins 40 and 42 in the upper end portions 44 and 46 of the grooves 34 and 36. Thus, the brush is detained in its extended position. In the illustrated arrangement, each of the grooves 34 also has a generally horizontal lower end portion 52. A detent element 54 extends downwardly into the groove 34 at the entrance to the end portion 52. Thus, the pins 40 will be detained in the end portions 52 with the bristle bar 12 in its retracted position;

The brush 10 is extended by pushing With one finger or thumb against the inner end of the bristle bar 12, so as to disengage the pins 40 from the detents 54. The bar 12 may then be slipped outwardly along the opening 28. The cooperative action between the diagonal tracks or grooves 34 and 36 and the guide pins or follower elements 40 and 42 is effective to shift the bristle bar 12 between the bottom and top walls 22 and 24 as the bristle bar is extended. When the bristle bar 12 reaches the top wall 20, the pins 40 and 42 are snapped past the detents 48 and 50 into the end portions 44 and 46 of the grooves 34 and 36. In this manner, the bristle bar 12 'is locked in its extended position.

The action of the detents 48 and 50 will retain the brush in its extended position while the teeth are being brushed.

The brush may be retracted by pushing inwardly on the bristle bar 12 with sufficient force to move the pins 40 and 42 past the detents 48 and 50. The bristle bar 12 is translated toward the bottom wall 22 as the bar is retracted into the opening 28. This action enables the bristles 18 to enter the outer end portion of the opening 28, so that the bristles will be enclosed within the hollow handle 14 when the brush is retracted.

The pins 40 are pushed past the detents 54 to retain the brush in its retracted position.

It will be apparent that the bristles of the brush are conveniently positioned when the brush is extended, yet are fully enclosed within the handle when the brush is retracted. Thus, the brush is highly serviceable for brushing teeth, yet is compact and sanitary when retracted. It is easy and convenient to carry the brush in a pocket, purse or the like. The brush is attractive in appearance, both when extended and when retracted. It is easy to manufacture the brush at extremely low cost.

Various modifications, alternative constructions and equivalents may be employed without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as exemplified in the foregoing description and defined in the following claims. I

We claim:

1. In a retractable tooth brush, the combination comprising a hollow handle member having a generally rectangular opening extending longitudinally therethrough, a bar slidably received in said opening and having an outer end with a plurality of bristles extending in one direction therefrom, said handle member having opposite side walls, each of said side walls having first and second internal substantially parallel grooves extending diagonally therein, said first groove being of greater depth than said second groove, said handle member having top and bottom walls, said grooves extending diagonally along the inner sides of said side walls between said top and bottom walls, said bar having an inner portion with first and second pairs of guide pins extending in opposite directions therefrom and substantially at right angles to the direction of said bristles, said first guide pins being of greater lateral extent than said second guide pins and being slidably received in said first grooves, said second guide pins being spaced toward said bristles from said first guide pins and being received in said second grooves, said bar being movable into and out of one end of said opening with said pins sliding diagonally along said grooves to shift said bar upwardly against said upper wall during extension of said bar, the other end of said opening affording access to the inner portion of said bar for pushing said bar out of said one end of said opening, each of said first and second grooves having a substantially horizontal end portion adjacent said top Wall, detent elements on said handle member and projecting into said grooves adjacent said horizontal portions for detaining said pins in said horizontal portions, each of said first grooves having a lower horizontal end portion adjacent said bottom wall, and detent elements on said handle member and projecting into said first grooves adjacent said horizontal end portions for detaining said first pins therein, said detent elements narrowing said grooves for frictional interference with passage of said pins except by exertion of substantial force between said bar and said handle member.

2. In a retractable brush, the combination comprising a bar having an outer end portion with a plurality of bristles extending upwardly therefrom, a hollow handle member having a generally rectangular opening extending longitudinally therethrough for receiving said bar, said handle member having top and bottom walls with a pair of opposite side walls therebetween, said side walls having first and second pairs of opposite generally parallel grooves extending diagonally along the inner faces of said side walls between said top and bottom Walls, said grooves being inclined upwardly between the inner and outer ends of said handle member, said first and second grooves communicating with each other, said first grooves being deeper than said second grooves, said bar having an inner end portion with first and second pairs of guide pins extending in opposite lateral directions therefrom and slidably received in said first and second grooves, said bar being movable into and out of one end of said opening with said pins sliding diagonally along said grooves to shift said bar upwardly against said upper wall during extension of said bar, the other end of said opening affording access to the inner portion of said bar for pushing said bar out of said one end of said opening, at least one of said grooves having an upper generally horizontal end portion adjacent said top wall with a detent element fixed on said handle member and projecting into said groove to detain the corresponding pin in said end portion and thereby detain said bar in its extended position, at least one of said grooves having a lower generally horizontal end portion adjacent said bottom wall with a detent element fixed on said handle member and projecting into said groove for detaining the corresponding pin in said lower end portion and thereby detaining said bar in its retracted position, said detent elements narrowing said grooves for frictional interference with passage of said pins except by exertion of substantial force between said bar and said handle member.

3. In a retractable brush, the combination comprising a bar having an outer end portion with a plurality of bristles extending upwardly therefrom, a hollow handle member having a generally rectangular opening extending longitudinally therethrough for receiving said bar, said handle member having top and bottom walls with a pair of opposite side walls therebetween, said side walls having first and second pairs of opposite generally parallel grooves extending diagonally in the inner faces of said side walls, said grooves being inclined upwardly between the inner and outer ends of said handle member, said bar having an inner end portion with first and second pairs of guide projections extending in opposite lateral directions therefrom and slidably received in said first and second grooves, said bar being movable into and out of one end of said opening with said projections sliding diagonally along said grooves to shift said bar upwardly toward said upper wall during extension of said bar, the other end of said opening affording access to the inner portion of said bar for pushing said bar out of said one end of said opening, at least one of said grooves having an upper end portion adjacent said top wall with a detent element on said handle member and projecting into said groove to detain the corresponding guide projection in said end portion and thereby detain said bar in its extended position, at least one of said grooves having a lower end portion adjacent said bottom wall with a detent element on said handle member and projecting into said groove for detaining the corresponding guide projection in said lower end portion and thereby detaining said bar in its retracted position, said detent elements narrowing said grooves for frictional interference with the passage of said guide projections except by exertion of substantial force between said bar and said handle member. 7

4. In a retractable brush, the combination comprising a bar having an outer end portion with a plurality of bristles extending upwardly therefrom, a hollow handle member having a generally rectangular opening extending longitudinally therethrough for receiving said bar, said handle member having top and bottom walls with a pair of opposite side walls therebetween, said side walls having first and second pairs of opposite generally parallel grooves extending diagonally therein in the inner faces of said side walls, said grooves being inclined upwardly between the inner and outer ends of said handle member, said bar having an inner end portion with first and second pairs of guide projections extending in opposite lateral directions therefrom and slidably received in said first and second grooves, said bar being movable into and out of one end of said opening with said projections.

6 said bar in its extended position, said detent element narrowing said groove for frictional interference with the passage of said guide projections except by the exertion of substantial force between said bar and said handle member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,303,944 Nelson May 20, 1919 2,236,240 Lowen Mar. 25, 1941 2,427,559 Johnson Sept. 16, 1947 2,517,029 Ridner Aug. 1, 1950 2,674,001 Abrams Apr. 6, 1954 

